Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Basketball Has Veterans, Depth in 2015-16
October 02, 2015 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Friday's Ball State men's basketball practice felt more like a midseason day at the office than the first practice of a new season.
The execution wasn't always perfect, and James Whitford certainly found plenty of teachable moments throughout the afternoon at Worthen Arena. But the familiarity for everyone on the floor was immensely greater than the coach's previous two years.
The Cardinals have 10 players with experience in the program, and even the newcomers aren't really new at this point. They had a summer of workouts and the team's August trip to the Bahamas to assimilate and begin learning the system.
From guys like Bo Calhoun and Franko House, who have been through two years in Whitford's system, to last year's Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year Sean Sellers, and even veteran transfers Naiel Smith and Nate Wells, it just seems like a more seasoned group.
“If you want to be a really good team, you need your starters to be really good, but you need your bench to be really good, too,” Whitford said. “I think (our depth) gives us that, and it gives us great competition in practice, which I think is absolutely imperative to being a successful program.”
Summer skill sessions are integral for players developing their own games. And Whitford couldn't put a value on what his team gained from the Bahamas trip. But the first practice of the season signals a heightened sense of urgency.
Ball State's Nov. 13 season opener at Bradley may seem far off right now. But the Cardinals will be trying to squeeze every possible bit of preparation out of the next 42 days.
“We have a lot of guys who invested a lot over the summer, and the harder you work, the more eager you are to start,” Whitford said. “We have a lot of optimism in our program. There are certainly a lot of things we want to get better at. It's only the first day, but our practice culture is the best it has been in my time here.”
2015-16 Ball State Men's Basketball
Letterwinners Returning
Rocco Belcaster (Jr., F); Bo Calhoun (Sr., F); Jeremiah Davis (Sr., G); Bik Gill (Sr., F); Franko House (Jr., F); Francis Kiapway (So., G); Kaleb Mallory (Jr., G); Sean Sellers (So., G/F); Jeremie Tyler (So., G)
Newcomers
Trey Moses (Fr., F); Naiel Smith (Jr., G); Tahjai Teague (Fr., F); Ryan Weber* (Jr., G/F); Nate Wells (Sr., C)
*Sat out last season as a transfer
Top Returning Scorers
Sean Sellers (12.0 ppg), Jeremie Tyler (12.0 ppg), Franko House (10.3 ppg)
Top Returning Rebounders
Bo Calhoun (6.0 rpg), Franko House (5.5 rpg)
Season Opener
Friday, Nov. 13 at Bradley (7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET)
Home Opener
Monday, Nov. 16 vs. Eastern Illinois (7 p.m. ET)
